1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to powered operation of side windows in automobiles. The use of powered vehicle window operations has become increasingly popular, largely because to operate a window by merely pushing a button allows an operator to maintain better attention to driving than can be achieved if the operator must perform a cranking function, often while driving a vehicle. Nevertheless, because of the increased cost of vehicles having factory installed powered window systems, many vehicles are still sold with simple crank systems for raising and lowering side windows. The need for powered windows becomes even more apparent to operators of what are often identified as full size pick-up trucks. Full sized wider bodied vehicles, such as full size pick-up trucks, are so wide that an operator cannot easily reach across a passenger side to manually operate a passenger side window even though there may be a need for such operation. Certainly, it is not safe to operate a window crank on a passenger side of a vehicle while the vehicle is traveling.
2. Prior Art
At the present time, many automobiles include factory installed power driven side windows. Such windows are generally controlled both at a driver's location and at the location of the window being operated.
The addition of such factory installed powered window drive systems generally come only at a significant increased sales price for the vehicle.
Because of the expense involved in having factory installed powered windows, many people continue to purchase new vehicles without such powered windows. Also, at the present time, there are a large number of older vehicles, in use, that do not have powered windows. It has been found that the owners of many vehicles, not factory equipped with power windows, and particularly in wider bodied vehicles such as full size pick-up trucks, there is a need to convert the windows that are not factory powered to operate in the same manner as the factory installed power windows. It is also desirable that a conversion unit to modify the manual crank operated windows to be power driven must be low in cost and easily installed as an add-on unit to the vehicle.